When the holiday season rolls in, I always find myself reflecting on the beauty of being surrounded by family—both the family we’re born into and the family we find along the way. If you’ve read my Purr-fect Relic Cozy Mystery series, you know the heart of Rebecca Cuthbert’s world isn’t just her talking cat, Aneksi, or the quirky mysteries she solves. It’s also the people she shares her life with—her grandfather and her friends in the small town of Citrus Grove, which have become her extended “found family.”
For Rebecca, the holidays are about sitting around her grandfather’s cluttered antique shop, sipping something warm, and swapping stories about the strange and wonderful treasures they’ve come across. It’s about laughter, good food, and making new memories—things we can all relate to, especially as the winter nights grow longer and colder.
One of my favorite ways to bring everyone together is by sharing something warm and comforting. I especially love to make a big batch of mulled cider—something that fills the house with the scent of cinnamon, cloves, and cranberries. It’s the perfect drink to sip while gathered around the fire, or in Rebecca’s case, while unraveling another mystery in Citrus Grove.
If you’re looking for a festive recipe to enjoy with your family, here’s my delicious MERRY Berry Mulled Cider recipe, which is perfect for this festive season. You can make it in the slow cooker or on the stovetop, and the best part? It smells as wonderful as it tastes!
Merry Berry Mulled Cider
INGREDIENTS
1 gallon of apple cider
1 cup fresh cranberries (or frozen, if fresh aren’t available)
2 cinnamon sticks
1 orange, sliced
1 tablespoon whole cloves
1 tablespoon allspice berries
1/4 cup brown sugar (optional, depending on your sweetness preference)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
DIRECTIONS
Slow Cooker Method:
Pour the apple cider into your slow cooker.
Add the cranberries, cinnamon sticks, orange slices, cloves, allspice, and brown sugar.
Set the slow cooker to low and let it simmer for 3–4 hours, stirring occasionally.
Add the vanilla extract just before serving.
Strain out the spices and fruit, if desired, or leave them in for a rustic look.
Stovetop Method:
In a large pot, combine the apple cider, cranberries, cinnamon sticks, orange slices, cloves, allspice, and brown sugar.
Bring the mixture to a gentle boil, then reduce the heat and let it simmer on low for 30–45 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add the vanilla extract just before serving.
Strain, if desired, or serve as-is for a rustic feel.
This mulled cider is a cozy, crowd-pleasing drink that’s perfect for holiday gatherings. I hope this recipe warms your home as much as it does mine.
Happy holidays, from my family to yours! 🐾🎄P.S. Keep an eye out for Crime and Cat-astrophes—the fourth book in the Purr-fect Relic Cozy Mystery series—coming in February!
DeAnna Drake is an award-winning author who writes witty and whimsical cozy mysteries filled with magical animals and feisty heroines who are always striving to balance the scales of justice in an offbeat world.
Under different names, DeAnna writes young-adult fantasy fiction, contemporary romances, and historical novels set in the Victorian and Edwardian eras.
When she isn’t plotting new adventures for her characters, she’s a craft addict, drinks too much tea, binge watches crime dramas, and escapes to Disneyland whenever she can.
She lives in Southern California with her family, which includes her two favorite people and one ridiculously pampered border collie.
Thanks for joining me for day six of TULE’s 12 days of Christmas Blog Tour!
This is an exciting—and busy—time of year. To keep stress to a minimum, I have a few tried-and-true short cut dessert ideas on hand for those days when I’m running low on energy or I’m short on time.
Trust me. Short cut doesn’t mean deliciousness is short-changed.
So … ta da … my Cheesecake in a Jar is the perfect answer for any last-minute dessert needs. It’s festive, easy, and oh so delightful!
And, it’s a new offering on the menu at the Little Dog Diner!
Here you go with my recipe for Cheesecake in a Jar
Ingredients
1 cup graham cracker crumbs or any crumbled cookie of your choice
1 cup cold heavy cream
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup granulated sugar
2 Tablespoons sour cream or Greek yogurt at room temperature
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoonvanilla
Toppings & garnishes. The only rule is, be creative! Strawberries, blueberries, lemon curd, nuts, hot fudge or a combination are a few of my favorites. Add a pretty cookie and you’re done.
Instructions
I like to use 10 – 6 oz canning jars but any glass container glass container will do.
Add about 1 ½ TB crumbs to each 6 – oz jar.
Whip the cold heavy cream into stiff peaks. Set aside.
In another bowl, beat the cream cheese, sugar, sour cream, lemon juice, and vanilla extract until smooth and creamy. No lumps left!
Slowly fold the whipped cream into the cheesecake filling until combined.
Layer a couple large spoonfuls of filling on top of the crumbs in the jars. Use about 3 Tablespoons, more or less, into the 6 oz jars. Leave room for the topping.
Cover and chill for a half hour before adding your topping choice.
Now, the fun part. Add topping and garnishes, then serve.
Leftovers can be covered and stored in the refrigerator for a few days.
One last thing. I always try one before serving to guests. I want to be sure it tastes delicious, right?
Take it from me, before your house is full of company, grab your favorite book, a cheesecake in a jar, a drink, and give yourself a much needed break!
Happy TULE Holiday Season everyone!
About the Author
Emmie Lyn grew up in a small town in New England, much like the towns where her female characters live—scenic, quaint and filled with colorful characters. She loves to create mysteries with twists and unexpected turns that draw readers in and capture their imagination.
Emmie lives in rural Massachusetts with her husband, a rescue terrier, and a black cat with a bad attitude. She shares twelve acres with a wide variety of wildlife including deer, bunnies, turkeys, and many songbirds. When she’s not busy thinking of ways to kill off a character (for a book, of course!) she enjoys a cup of tea and chocolate in her flower garden, hiking, or spending time near the ocean.
Hi, I’m M, here AT Tule I’m your resident dog cozy mystery author and crazy dog lady in general.
I’m also a lot like Leslie Knope in that gift-giving is like a sport for me. I love the thrill of finding the perfect gift for everyone.
And, yes, this includes my dogs.
So, I wanted to help out my fellow dog parents with some holiday gift suggestions for their fur babies!
For a little something special – Gourmet Dog Treats – We’ve special ordered ours from local bakeries, used Chewy, and even ordered from Amazon. If you’re going to a friend’s house and know they are a dog lover, they’re the perfect gift to bring for the host. (Fun fact, this is also what I suggested to my mom to give as a gift for a dog wedding. YEP the dog wedding that inspired A Poodle Perplexity.) https://amzn.to/48h72bi
For your playful dog, or one you need to keep distracted – The Nylon Treat Pod- Every single one of my dogs, family dogs, and foster dogs has loved this thing. You can put treats inside of the little nylon pods and they have to really lick and chew to get them out. They even love this bone without treats in it (as soon in pictures) https://amzn.to/4dY8osL
For those who want a new tradition – Books- A few years back we started getting matching family pajamas and books every year on Christmas Eve. And who am I to leave the dogs out? Luckily they have dog toy books that you can stuff with treats! Perfect to go with those matching pajamas! https://amzn.to/40aMwHv
For the sentimental bunch – Matching pajamas for you and your dog – Now my dogs, personally hated this, but to be fair, one is a rescue and is scared of everything. Even the matching pajamas my mom got us for Christmas. But I have to admit, they’re adorable. https://amzn.to/3NDbTdy
For the pampered pooch – A new dog bed – We’ve gone through a lot of dog beds in the Alfano house, mainly because we’ve had puppies, fosters, and just furry dogs! So what better way to spoil your dog than a new bed for them to camp out in, while you read in your comfy chair? (One with a removable cover is also great) https://amzn.to/3NDcrA8
M. Alfano is a crazy dog lady from a small town in Texas. When not writing cozy mysteries you can find her as the substitute elementary school music teacher or writing contemporary romance under Magan Vernon.
HERE at the Westemeier house, we head to church on Christmas Eve and we spend Christmas day lounging in our sweatpants. I hate missing any of the fun playing games, watching movies, and dancing to the playlist streaming on the speaker, so I designed our menu to keep me out of the kitchen. With three adult sons and a husband all over six feet tall, you better believe I need to set out a spread, and that’s where this favorite soup recipe saves the holiday!
Soup is good food, and it’s especially satisfying when eaten with friends and family. Slow Cooker Ham and Potato Soup is a wonderful way to use up leftover holiday ham without putting too much pressure on the kitchen staff (usually just me). Paired with a loaf of crusty bread and sliced apples, cheese (because HERE in Wisconsin, it’s a food group on its own) and Christmas cookies, Slow Cooker Ham and Potato Soup satisfies even the hungriest dinner guest. We can dip into the crock pot whenever hunger hits, and this recipe makes enough to serve any visitors who might come to our door.
Except for the potatoes, the soup’s ingredients can be prepped the night before, and it doesn’t take more than twenty minutes to produce this hearty main course. I love the options for cooking time, too. Best of all, nearly every ingredient in this recipe has a long shelf life, making the cook’s life even easier!
Just as my family gathers HERE for holidays, the residents at The Abbey: Senior Living in my Nun the Wiser Mysteries enjoy a communal meal together in the old sanctuary now appropriated as a dining room. The cooks prepare Slow Cooker Ham and Potato Soup for the residents to satisfy their hunger and warm them up on a cold day.
And after the party’s over, what’s cozier than a bowl of soup, a cup of cocoa, and a cozy murder mystery by any of these fine Tule authors while you’re snuggled up in your favorite chair? Sounds like the perfect ending to a holiday celebration!
Melissa Westemeier grew up around the edge of nerd culture, but marriage and motherhood with three sons immersed her in it. She’s fluent in Marvel, DC, Dr. Who, Star Wars, Godzilla, and more thanks to their influence. Her fiction work includes rom-com and a trilogy loosely based on her experience tending bar on the Wolf River in Wisconsin. She’s thrilled to realize her childhood dream of writing murder mysteries. Her books blend her humor and appreciation for nerd culture while tackling serious themes and unpacking the puzzle of whodunnit (and how and why!). In her spare time, Melissa needs to be outside or near a window. Her passions include hiking, swimming, biking, reading, and fantasizing about her next vacation destination.
Happy Holidays, EVERYONE! I hope you’re having a chance to spend time with those close to you. As I sit down to write this post, the weather is chilly, damp, and dark. In other words, typical for Central Indiana this time of year. Not exactly conditions that are conducive to merriment, know what I mean?
That got me thinking. What if I took a page from Elmo Simpson, the amateur sleuth and namesake of my Tule mystery series? Elmo left Indianapolis, and after taking a rather winding path, settled down in the fictional town of Paradise Springs, in the real-life Florida Panhandle.
Would I move to a tropical locale? I would absolutely love to! As long as I don’t find myself being asked to solve a murder mystery. I’ll leave that to the experts. Would my life be different? I’m sure it would, including how I’d celebrate the holiday season.
First, the decorations would be different. Currently, our Christmas tree is an artificial white pine. If I lived in the tropics, I’d replace that by decorating a palm tree. Something like this, perhaps.
Yeah, that would get the tropical holiday vibes started.
What about decorations for my new domicile? My wife and I currently have four plastic crates that we store our ornaments, figurines, and other festive items in. I certainly wouldn’t abandon all of those items. Memories, after all.
I’d prioritize the placement of these two statuettes, though
I mean, my author friends don’t call me The Flamingo Kid for nothing! By the way, the flamingo on the right was a gift from one of my sisters, so my family supports my tropical madness dreams.
Once the tree and the house are decorated, I’ll turn my attention to music. Holiday music, from the classics delivered by Nat King Cole and Bing Crosby to more recent deliveries from the Brian Setzer Orchestra, is played a lot during the final few weeks of December. Not much of that would change, though, I’d add a lot more Jimmy Buffett. He has two Christmas albums, “Christmas Island” and “’Tis the SeaSon.” If you haven’t listened to them, do yourself a favor and do it soon. You’ll be glad you did.
Last, but not least, food. You aren’t fully embracing the holidays if you don’t partake in at least a little bit of feasting, right? I think I’d go with something like this mofongo dish. For those who aren’t familiar with it, mofongo is a traditional Puerto Rican dish made of mashed plantains and mixed with pork or other meats. Doesn’t it look amazing?
So, let’s see. I’ve got the tree and home decorated. I’ve got music playing. The holiday meal is ready. I think that means it’s time to celebrate the season in tropical style.
How about you? Would you like to celebrate the holidays in a different part of the world? If so, where and how would you do it? Let me know in the comments. Until next time, cheers!
J.C. Kenney is the bestselling author of The Allie Cobb Mysteries, The Darcy Gaughan Mysteries, and The Elmo Simpson Mysteries. He’s also the co-host of The Bookish Hour webcast. When he’s not writing, you can find him following IndyCar racing or listening to music. He has two grown children and lives in Indianapolis with his wife and a cat.
